Miskatonic Monday #224: Archives of Terror

Between October 2003 and October 2013, Chaosium, Inc. published a series of books for Call of Cthulhu under the Miskatonic University Library Association brand. Whether a sourcebook, scenario, anthology, or campaign, each was a showcase for their authors—amateur rather than professional, but fans of Call of Cthulhu nonetheless—to put forward their ideas and share with others. The programme was notable for having launched the writing careers of several authors, but for every Cthulhu Invictus, The Pastores, Primal State, Ripples from Carcosa, and Halloween Horror, there was Five Go Mad in Egypt, Return of the Ripper, Rise of the Dead, Rise of the Dead II: The Raid, and more...

The Miskatonic University Library Association brand is no more, alas, but what we have in its stead is the Miskatonic Repository, based on the same format as the DM’s Guild for Dungeons & Dragons. It is thus, “...a new way for creators to publish and distribute their own original Call of Cthulhu content including scenarios, settings, spells and more…” To support the endeavours of their creators, Chaosium has provided templates and art packs, both free to use, so that the resulting releases can look and feel as professional as possible. To support the efforts of these contributors, Miskatonic Monday is an occasional series of reviews which will in turn examine an item drawn from the depths of the Miskatonic Repository.

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Name: Archives of Terror – Call of Cthulhu paranoia horror in 1990 Romania

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Christopher Dimitrios

Setting: 1990s Romania

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Twenty-one page, 24.76 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Archives hide secrets... Secrets mean power and fear...

Plot Hook: In the wake of the Christmas Revolution, there is a chance to get into the national archives of the Securitate. What secrets do they hide?

Plot Support: Staging advice, five pre-generated Investigators, three NPCs, three handouts, one floorplan, five Mythos tomes (technically), and two Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Decent

Pros

# One-shot of heightened feeling of paranoia and post-surveillance

# Set at an interesting point in history

# Mythos and magic driven by secrets

# Could be adjusted to other post-Communist states

# Nicely detailed pre-generated Investigators

# Scopophobia

# Paranoia

# Papyrophobia

Cons

# Needs a close read to understand how the secrets and magic works

# Shares Investigators with Baba Dochia. Could be a sequel? 

Conclusion

# Investigators need to know will drive revelations and magic in this paranoia-fuelled delve in state/personal secrets 

# Supported by well done Investigators